


Everything is Different

by Greenninjagal



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Ethan is the host of Kronos, Everything is Different, F/M, M/M, POV Second Person, Percy's not the prophecy child, What Have I Done, everyone is a mess, skeeball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 20:12:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15032306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenninjagal/pseuds/Greenninjagal
Summary: ....but it still ends the same.Ethan Nakamura and Bianca Di Angelo realized at the same exact moment they doomed each other with a promise on a skeeball token several years prior.





	Everything is Different

The argument between Lou Ellen of the Hecate cabin and Sherman of the Ares Cabin didn’t start over Ethan Nakamura, but that was definitely where it was going to end. Or at least that was where it was paused when the other two boys shoved themselves between the two of them and forcibly separated them before the blows had become fatal.

 

To be honest, you thought Sherman had it coming because he had been nothing but angry and mean the entire time he had been showing you around camp. He was taller than you by a few heads and was built like he was ready to take on seven Lou Ellen’s at a time. He wore a snide smirk when he spoke and callously spoke of everyone at camp as if he was trying to start a fight.

 

Lou Ellen was just the first one to lose her cool. She was green eyed and pale skinned, but she was carrying three textbooks when she had heard exactly what Sherman had said so she couldn’t have been completely weak. If you hadn’t noticed the mystic symbols on her clothes that exploded when she whipped around to face Sherman’s accusations, then you would have thought that Sherman was going to pummel her.

 

“TAKE IT BACK!” She screamed clawing at the boy holding her back, “TAKE IT BACK, YOU ASSHOLE!”

 

“You’re just mad because you know I’m right!” Sherman laughed unphased by the boy pushing him back. 

 

Lou Ellen lunged over the shoulder of the boy blocking her and even though it was only a second, her fingers glowed a vibrant green and a blast of light shot out at the other boy. It was amazing to see--magic! Real magic! You were still a little surprised that something this amazing was something most of the world didn’t believe in. 

 

The boy in front of Sherman cursed as he jumped in front of the attack, surprising everyone. A gasp went out among the crowd that had gathered as he yelled out in pain and doubled over.

 

“Will!” Lou Ellen jerked back in horror. “Will!”

 

Even Sherman had the graces to look shocked. The blonde boy coughed violently, and you were pretty sure that he spit out blood on the green grass. No one seemed to know what to do-- you least of all because you aren’t even sure who Ethan Nakamura is or why everyone was upset about him. 

 

“Look at what you did, Blackstone!” snarled Sherman.

 

“That was supposed to be you!” She snarled, rushing forward, “Will, I’m so sorry! Give me just a second I can reverse--”

 

“Isn’t that a surprise?” Sherman cut in, “You always have a way to reverse your mistakes!”

 

Will coughed up another glob of blood, “Can’t you two  _ knock it off? _ ” He spit out, “This argument got us here in the first place! Can’t you just--” He grunted, glaring up at them with brilliantly blue eyes, “--not fight for three minutes?”

 

“He started it!” Lou snapped angrily, and you had to agree, but Will just shook his head.

 

“I don’t care!”

 

The crowd of other kids-- demigods, you remember-- started to murmur but no one seemed to be eager to jump in the middle. 

 

Lou huffed angrily, and glared at the grass. “He said Ethan wasn’t a hero!” She looked at Will with her green eyes wide and watery, “He was! He was a hero!” 

 

“Who’s Ethan?” You knew the argument hadn’t started with Ethan. You knew it had started long before, before you had come to camp or even knew that the Gods existed, you knew that the fight had been coming for a long time and that you were the only who didn’t have a stake in it, if the glances everyone around you were sharing was anything to go by; they seemed to be on one side or another. You knew that, but it didn’t stop the words from blurting out of your mouth.

 

They all stared at you for a second, their eyes creeping over your skin uncomfortably. The hillside was quiet, as if they aren’t sure how to answer you at all.

 

Will wiped the blood off his lips, apparently over the spell attack. He used Lou Ellen’s shoulder to lift himself back to his feet. “It’s...complicated.” He said, “Who are you?”

 

Sherman crossed his arms, “This is the new camper. Came today. I’m showing them around because Chiron and Dionysus got into an argument over if they could show the orientation film, because you know….”  

 

You didn’t know, but Will exhaled heavily in understanding. He looked at you with the semblance of something that was supposed to be a smile. “Welcome to Camp Half Blood, kid.” He said, “I’m Will Solace, head counselor of Apollo. Camp’s a little tense now but don’t worry. It gets better.”

 

You didn’t say anything but it seemed more like he was trying to convince himself and not you.

 

***

 

Will decided to take over giving you a tour, which was probably the best option for all parties. Lou Ellen stalked off with two of her siblings, still angry and green sparks bursting off her jacket. Sherman grunted something about going to the arena and left with his hands in fists, which you guessed meant he was going to go punch things.

 

Will looked around at the group still lingering, “Don’t you guys have activities?” They moved on but you could still feel them looking over their shoulders. The fight might have been over but the interest of it was still in the air. Everyone seemed to be just one comment away from falling apart.

 

Will sighed and placed a hand on your shoulder and led you away. He didn’t saying anything for a few moments as you walked. The grass danced in a light breeze. From the hill it was cool to see the entire camp. It was pretty wild. If any of your friends saw this---

 

Then you remembered that if you told any of your friends about this they wouldn’t believe you. No one would believe you if you told them the woman who had adopted you had turned into a creepy one eyed monster and tried to eat you. The only reason you were alive now was because that guy with horns had helped you out run it. He had taken you all the way here and left you with Chiron--  _ the _ Chiron, who looked nothing like the Disney Hercules version-- and then the kind old man had asked Sherman to walk you around. No one would believe that this was all real at all. 

 

But you were living here now.

 

“Have you been claimed yet?” Will asked suddenly. 

 

Your shoulders tensed. “No.”

 

Will nodded, “That’s what started the fight, wasn’t it?” He squinted up at the sun.

 

“Sherman said it didn’t matter who my parent was as long as it wasn’t Nemesis.” You said quietly, “He said that no heroes came from the Nemesis cabin.”

 

Will sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. He looked a lot older all of a sudden, like he had aged several years in the process of you talking. There were bags under his eyes and the his crystal blue irises dulled a bit. His shoulders slumped forward in a defeated position.

 

“Sorry,” He said, “Sherman doesn’t have a filter. Nemesis is a pretty cool parent!” He didn’t seem to believe that. “It’s just…. well…Ethan was a son of Nemesis and...a lot of people hold grudges against him.”

 

“But why?” You asked, “What did he do?”

 

Will glanced over your head at the horizon, “Want to see some pegasi? The Aphrodite Cabin has stable duty this week but I’m sure they would love to show you how to fly.”

 

“That’s not an answer!”

 

“That’s a complicated question.” Will shot back, “Look kid… what happened is touchy. Everyone is still raw from the war--”

 

“War?” You repeated, “What war?”

 

Will made a frustrated noise, “I can’t--”

 

“Can’t what, Solace?”

 

Will tensed so fast you almost thought he hurt something. He whipped around to face the new person who must had snuck up on you both somehow. You didn’t hear any footsteps at all.

 

You’re first impression was that she was really pretty, like a famous person, but you couldn’t think of which one. She had long brown hair that she braided neatly over her shoulder along with  white lily flowers that was put off by the strange tuff of white hair in her bangs. She was dressed casual-- jeans and purple sweatshirt that looked comfy but not practical since it was still a week or so until the Fall chill took over. The splash of freckles on her face stood out to you, and she looked friendly if it wasn’t for the sheer empty aura she brought with her. You couldn’t place it, but it made you extremely uncomfortable, more than when everyone was staring at you.

 

She picked at the flower in her hair staring down Will. You guessed she must have been a Demeter daughter. Demeter was the flower goddess right? Her or Persephone, but you thought Persephone was a virgin goddess or something.

 

“You! Uh--You, You’re back!” Will stuttered. He leaned away from her as if she was going to hit him, “How was your trip?”

 

A duffle bag sat at her feet a bulging and worn olive green. On top of it was a green cap. You frowned because you hadn’t heard her put it down either.

 

“No, Solace.” She said tersely, “Tell us what “you can’t”.” She did air quotes, “Go on. Tell us about the war. You would know most, wouldn’t you? You were in the middle of it.”

 

He paled the darkness in her tone. You swallowed hard. Nervously taking a step back you watched them both in case they turned into another Sherman-Lou Ellen argument. The Demeter girl placed a hand on her hip and made a motion to signal that she was waiting for an answer.

 

Will took a deep breathe and let it out slowly. He reminded you of a deflating balloon. He stared hard over her shoulder when he spoke, “I wasn’t in the middle of it. That was you.”

 

You blink surprised. She didn’t look like she had been in a war. But then again none of them looked like they had been in a war. Will hissed a breath through his teeth, almost a whistle but not quite.

 

“I can’t tell that story.” He said.

 

“Can’t or won’t?” The girl challenged, “You’re just like everyone else in this Camp, Will. None of you want to talk about it. Everyone just wants to move on.”

 

“What do you expect from us?” He snapped, “They died!”

 

“Yeah, they did! But that doesn’t mean they didn’t live. If you refuse to listen and learn from them, then you are dooming the next generation to do the same.” She waved a hand in your direction, “Look at them Will! Don’t tell me that you want them to die too!”

 

“It won’t happen!”

 

“You can’t guarantee that!”

 

“W-we have separate cabins now! Equal representation!” Will fumbled, “The gods promised to claim their kids! It won’t happen like last time!”

 

“Say he’s a hero then.”

 

“What?”

 

The girl stepped forward until she was almost Will’s personal space. They were about the same height with Will only half an inch taller. The son of apollo leaned backward but he didn’t step back anymore than he backed down.

 

“Did I stutter, Sunny D?” She said, “Call Ethan a hero.”

 

Will pursed his lips together.

 

“This is what he wanted.” She said lowly, almost so low that you couldn’t hear it, “For all the gods and goddess to have cabins and for their kids feel like they belong in Camp. He wanted the gods to listen to us and for their kids to be claimed. Unless I’m mistaken, Ethan and Luke were successful. Call him a hero, Will.”   
  


“I’m not saying he wasn’t a hero--”

 

“But you aren’t saying he is!” She exclaimed, rather loudly. You glanced around uncomfortably and caught sight of another crowd lingering on the top of the hill by the Big House. The kids up there were whispering to each other, and pointing.

 

“Ethan died so that every kid who came here didn’t have to share three feet of room with someone else! Not that you would understand because you’re godly parent has a cabin to himself! Lou Ellen, Alabaster, Ethan-- all of them had to share with the Hermes kids. It’s no wonder they grew up frustrated with the gods. This was the only place they were safe and they lived like pigs!” The girl set her jaw, “So until you admit that Ethan Nakamura was a hero, until you can bring yourself to tell the story as it was, don’t expect any favors from me.”

 

She turned and shoulder checked him as she made eye contact with you. Something flashed in her eyes-- sadness, anger, misery-- and she looked like she was going to say something. But at the last second she changed her mind and grabbed her dufflebag and stormed towards the top of the hill without a look back. 

 

You watched her go, feeling somewhat relieved that the tension was gone, but horribly curious on what had happened. Will tightened his hands into fists so tight he was shaking again. The crowd by the Big House parted the second the girl got up there but they were all watching her nervously.

 

“Who was that?” you asked.

 

Will scowled, “Not the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin, so she doesn’t matter. Come on, let's go.”

 

“But She--”

 

“Forget it!” Will commanded, “Forget her!”

 

He stormed off down the hill more, and he didn’t look back to make sure you were following. His anger wafted off of him in rays of heat that made you want to push even more. But Will, despite his original laid back personality, seemed both high strung and annoyed. You let the subject drop.

 

But there was no way you were going to forget about the girl with the dark eyes. She might be the only one who would actually tell you what was going on.

 

***

 

You ate at the Hermes cabin table, because that was where unclaimed demigods sat and ate. You weren’t the only unclaimed one: a girl three years older than you was there too but she didn’t even acknowledge anyone else at the table. A Hermes kid, Cecil or something told you in a low voice that she was frustrated that her godly parent still hadn’t claimed her after everything that had happened. 

 

You didn’t think the Hermes kids were too horrible-- they were funny-- but as you watch them plot together to steal wallets in expert cons that they performed in seconds you could understand why it would suck sharing your entire life in a cabin with them. You didn’t have any real personal possessions but you thought if you had you didn’t want to have to worry it would go missing every time you closed your eyes.

 

After dinner, that was uneventful aside from getting to toss food into a real burning fire, Travis and Connor Stoll helped you pick out a sleeping bag from the Camp store-- though you suspected it had more to do with raiding the snack aisle and less to do with wanting to be nice. They were the head counselors for Hermes, but they didn’t seem to be the definition of Leadership.

 

They told you the campfire was normally really cool and awesome, but tonight it had been short and low energy. Chiron especially seemed distracted from when you had met him earlier. He announced that it was an early night tonight and the flames of the magic fire had gone from a light pink to a low purple in sync with the groans of the crowd. 

 

You didn’t see the girl with the duffle again, but it wasn’t for lack of trying: She hadn’t been at dinner, and she didn’t show up at the campfire. When you asked the Stoll’s about her, they shared a look and shrugged in turn.

 

“Demeter girl huh?” Travis had said, “Katie isn’t supposed to be back for another couple of days, but even then she has nothing on Solace. I think she has a small crush on him actually. He likes her back too--” 

 

Connor elbowed him in the side, “No doofus,  _ You _ are the one with a crush on Katie. And It’s not even small! Or subtle!”

 

That was the end of that.

 

However, there was only one issue: you had never been good at sleeping in new places. Also that the last time you had felt safe in a home environment, your adoptive parent had morphed into a one-eyed cannibal and tried to eat you. With the events of the day, it had been easy to put off the memory, and although you were assured several million times that the border kept out all the monsters, you still couldn’t quell the unease in your stomach.

 

You knew rationally, that nothing was going to attack you, but your skin was still buzzing after everyone else had fallen asleep and been asleep for hours. Something just wouldn’t let you settle down, something was keeping you awake.

 

And being awake meant that you were thinking about the brown haired girl and Will and whoever your godly parent must be. You thought about how Sherman had been so adamant about how it couldn’t be Nemesis, because no heroes came from Nemesis. But then about how the girl was so insistent that Ethan was a hero in the first place. It was uncomfortable thinking about how two wildly different opinions could exist in the same summer camp.

 

What if your parent was Nemesis? Would everyone hate you like they hated Ethan for whatever he had done?

 

What had he done?

 

Eventually your thoughts were so loud you were sure you were going to wake your new cabinmates. You sat up slowly and as quietly as you could unzipped the sleeping bag you had borrowed. No one really stirred. Connor was snoring louder than a dump truck, which you were thankful for as you stood up and stretched your legs in the short area between the beds that the Hermes kids were sleeping on. (They explained that they would get you a bed if you weren’t claimed by the campfire tomorrow and you didn’t mind so much).

 

Moonlight trickled in from the cabin’s one window. You watched it for a couple minutes, the white lights not moving and your brain so tired from thinking that just staring was calming. 

 

Then the light broke. 

 

You blinked in surprise as you followed the break in the light to the window. There was someone out there! Someone walking around! 

 

You thought about it for all of a second-- remembering how Chiron mentioned the Harpies that patrolled the night but you decided that the figure was distinctly not Harpie shaped-- before you slid on your sneakers, padded across the room, and reached for the door knob. impulsiveness was not unheard of in your case, but it was rare that you did something  _ this _ impulsive.

 

Breaking the rules on your first day in camp? That was quite ballsy of you.

 

None of your cabinmates stirred when you unlocked the door and Chris only murmured something in his sleep when you opened the door and slipped out. You closed it softly, and prayed that you weren’t going to get thrown out of Camp. It wasn’t like you had another place to go.

 

Outside was a serene peaceful plane of existence. The moon was full and large, flooding everything in its silver light so that there was no need for a flashlight. The other cabins were dark and quiet. Even the birds had called it a night and tucked in. You almost wondered if you had imagined the shadow with how tired you were, but then you saw it: the black gliding form walking without a sound just up the line of cabins. 

 

It didn’t seem to notice you at all. Just strolled across the camp leisurely. It stopped in front of the third cabin.

 

Poseidon's Cabin.

 

Then after a moment of thought it walked right up to the door and let itself in.

 

You were a bit surprised. Sherman had explained to you about the cabins: generally the gods didn’t take kindly to other people just dancing into their cabins. He had waved the first three cabins off completely saying that Zeus's daughter didn’t stay in camp, Hera had no children, and Poseidon was still grieving his son who had died five years ago.

 

So who had the audacity to march right into the cabin as if they owned it?

 

Your curiosity walked you all the to the cabin, but you hovered in the doorway, nervously. The door was still open just a crack. Maybe it really was none of your business. Maybe you would get smited the second you walked in. 

 

You pressed a hand to the door and inched it open just enough to see who the shadow had been.

 

The girl with the duffle bag. She was sitting on one of the bunks with her hair down and eyes watching the bubbling fountain in the corner. Her eyes were rimmed with redness, and her skin so pale it was nearly translucent in the contrast of the moonlight. She was holding something in her hands, a piece of black fabric.

 

You were acutely aware that there was line and you crossed it when it came to privacy. She obviously didn’t want anyone to see her cry and you were here watching her creepily. In a fit of second hand judgement you grabbed the door handle silently and began to pull it closed--

 

“You don’t have to go.”

 

You froze.

 

Her head turned from the fountain to face you and she hastily rubbed the tears from her eyes. She gave you a small, yet watery smile. “You’re the new camper, right? Will was showing you around.”

 

You nodded, uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” You said, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

 

She laughed quietly, glancing from you to the fabric in her hands then back to you, “It’s alright...I wasn’t doing anything you could disturb. Just...some bad memories.”

 

Despite the fact she said it was okay, you still felt like you should go. Your brain was screaming that you shouldn’t be here, with her, breaking the rules in a cabin that neither of you belong to, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move. This was the girl: she could tell you everything that was going on. If only you got the courage to ask.

 

She beat you to it. “So, do you know which God is your parent?”

 

You dread it but you shake your head again.

 

She swung her feet. “You look like a Tyche kid,” She said, “the goddess of luck. She’s pretty cool. 3000 attack power, but if Nemesis is on the table both cards get discarded.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Myth-o-magic.” She said as if that explained everything, “My brother used to play. You...You remind me of him.”

 

“I do?” 

 

She looked down again and spoke so softly you had to creep into the room to hear her, “yeah.”

 

You nervously wiped your clammy hands on your borrowed pajama pants. “I--I--” You struggled to figure out what to say to that, “I wouldn’t mind meeting him?”

 

She blinked and smiled that soft smile again, “I’m afraid you can’t meet him.” She leaned back on the bed, a solemn expression clouding her face, “He’s...not alive anymore.”

 

Not alive? He’s dead-- oh boy. You shut your mouth really quick after that. Here you were a walking talking reminded her of her dead brother; no wonder that look she gave you earlier was so upsetting.

 

“How did he…” You realized in the middle of the sentence that it was probably not the best thing to ask.

 

The girl wasn’t mad. She glanced at the fountain again, frowning and her hands knotted the piece of fabric between her fingers. “A stab wound. He bled out.” 

 

It was silent for another moment.

 

“You want to know who Ethan was, don’t you.” She stated it.

 

You nodded and despite the fact she wasn’t looking at you at all she copied the action bobbing her head up and down again. She took another deep breath and then she faced you. 

 

“You’re going to want to sit down.” She said. “This will take a while, but I can tell you what happened. It’s complicated and hard to tell, because Ethan and Luke were not the type of guys who set out trying to get everyone killed, and everyone is still upset about what happened…” She trailed off as you crept closer and sat on one of the empty beds across from her. You thought there should have been a ton of dust but the Cabin was surprisingly well managed considering no one lived in it. 

 

“I guess I should start with an introduction.” She said, “Ethan Nakamura was the oldest son of Nemesis, reculent best friends with a guy named Luke Castellan, who was the cabin leader from Hermes. There was a son of Poseidon named Percy Jackson who everyone thought was going to be the child of the Great Prophecy whom the oracle of Delphi had predicted would be not only a child of the Big Three Gods, but also the difference between the rise and fall of Olympus when they reached age fifteen.

 

“They were wrong, because Percy died just after completing his first quest-- returning Zeus’s stolen Master Lightning Bolt. Luke had framed Percy for stealing the bolt and when he completed finding and returning the item, Luke when about killing him the old fashion way: luring him into a secluded area and poisoning him with scorpion venom.”

 

You frowned. “Okay? But if he wasn’t the child of this mega prophecy, who was?”

 

She smiled again, soft, understanding, but also pained. “I was,” she said, “I am Bianca Di Angelo. Daughter of Hades.”

 


End file.
